The forested 270-metre-high Namsan hill in central Seoul is already a natural tourist attraction in itself, which is only enhanced by the presence of the N Seoul Tower, a TV and observation tower known mainly as the Namsan Tower.

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Take the cable car up the hill, indulge in the beautiful views of the entire city and walk back down through Namsan Park.

N Seoul Tower.

The top of Namsan Hill is gracefully complemented by a 279-metre-high tower, officially named N Seoul Tower, which also houses an indoor observatory and restaurant on its top floor at 239 metres.

The view from N Seoul Tower is one of the best in Seoul. Subjectively, it's even better than from the tallest skyscraper , Lotte World Tower, which is further away from the centre. In addition, the observation deck on N Seoul Tower is more spacious than on Lotte World Tower.

The view from Namsan Tower is 360°, i.e. on all sides.

Opening hours

Open every day from 11:00 am.

Monday to Thursday until 10:00 pm, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 10:30 pm. The last entry is possible half an hour before closing time, but especially at the weekend there are longer queues that can last 60 to 75 minutes.

Ticket price

Ticket prices are as follows:

• 21 000 krw for adults (over 13 years)
• 16 000 krw for children under 13 and seniors over 65

Admission is thus significantly cheaper than at Lotte World Tower. You can pay at the box office with cash or card.

Official website: nseoultower.co.kr

Is it worth paying for the view?

If you walk to the top of Namsan Hill just below the tower, you'll find that panoramic views of downtown Seoul and the western part of the city with the river, as well as east towards Lotte World Tower, are available for free from several vantage points.

The advantage of the observatory on the tower is the fact that you can really see all sides, which is not possible from the top of the hill. The views are often blocked by trees. On the other hand, the disadvantage of the observatory at N Seoul Tower, apart from having to pay for a ticket, is that you often have to wait in queues of up to an hour, and the fact that the view from the tower will only ever be through glass.

Personally, however, we wouldn't skip the tower view, even with the relatively low price.

When to go to Namsan Tower?

The best time is definitely late afternoon, when day and night are breaking. You can enjoy the view during daylight hours and the spectacular night view of hundreds of thousands of lights.

In addition, N Seoul Tower is beautifully illuminated at night with a combination of several colors from green to blue to red.

Namsan Cable Car

The easiest way to get to the top of the hill is via the Namsan Cable Car, a suspended cable car from the southern edge of downtown.

The cable car operates daily from 10:00 to 23:00 and runs at intervals of about 10 minutes. The journey up takes about 5 minutes.

Check the official website for detailed and up-to-date information: cablecar.co.kr.

Ticket price:

• 15 000 krw - return
• 12 000 krw - one-way

We definitely recommend buying a one-way ticket only. There are several hiking and very well maintained trails leading down from the top through Namsan Park. Heading down to the cable car, you'll follow a winding steep road, while heading west or south there are quite comfortable staircases. With the exception of the southern path, all the others are well lit, so you can easily walk at night.

From the cable car itself, there are beautiful views. On the other hand, the disadvantage of the cable car is obvious: especially on Friday afternoons and on weekends throughout the day, there are queues of 40-60 minutes.

The nearest metro stations to the lower cable car station are on the blue metro line 4: Hoehyeon and Myeongdong, both about 550 metres away.

Buses 143, 401, 406 and 9006 then stop just 100 metres from the cable car.

Bus to the hill

An alternative route almost all the way to the top is via the yellow circular bus line 01, which goes all the way around the centre. The bus stop is about 180 metres below the summit, so you'll have to walk a bit.

The bus runs at 9-minute intervals, and the nearest subway station the bus passes is Dongguk University (orange line 3) or Chungmuro (orange line 3 + blue line 4).

Compared to the cable car, the bus fare costs about 10x less: 1 100 krw, even less if you transfer from the subway.

Accommodation near Namsan Park

The area just around Namsan Hill is one of the quieter ones in Seoul, but at the same time you'll be practically right in the centre. If you like proximity to large parks, then choose from these hotels, for example:

• Namsan Gil House - A cozy guesthouse with small rooms and prices starting from 40 usd per night.
• Namsan Hill Hotel *** - a small modern hotel near the lower cable car station with low prices from 60 usd per night
• Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul ***** - one of the most luxurious hotels in Seoul is right at the foot of the mountain surrounded by gardens and a park

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